Old Life
by Vazio
Summary: What if Filia wished for her memories back?
1. Choice

**NOTE:** The premise is: what if they took a different decision?

This idea came to me in the old Skullheart forums. I posted about having different paths in the story mode and the idea hasn't stopped running.

I would like to end with better patience, writing, work ethic and english skills with this story.

I hope you all have a good read. Please review, appraise honestly and criticize fairly.

Edit: I have thought about making one big fic with all the chars. i have changed the idea and decided to make many small ones each character will have one. It is about presentation.

* * *

"**Well, this is it, kid... "**

"**Whatcha gonna wish for?"**

The girl looked at the Skullheart. Although the bruises and wounds from her battles are still stinging she isn't paying attention to them.

She knows how she got them. She knows she can deal with them.

"I need to make this wish count..."

What she didn't know that was hurting her.

That girl: Carol.

"What happened to her?"

Her old life.

"Does anybody miss me? Are they looking for me?"

Herself.

"Why did I lose my memories? Did I do something to Carol? What kind of person was I?"

Samson picked up her indecision.

"**Kinda hard, isn't it?"**

The girl was thinking hard. It took a few seconds to register his question.

"It is."

"**What wishes do you wanna make?"**

"I... I want my memories back. But, Painwheel, she... She is suffering so much..."

"**So you want to save her, ALSO."**

"Yes. She doesn't seem to have anyone to help her."

"**Yeah... She and a lot of people that we don't know."**

"...?"

He sighed.

"**Look kid. I know that she is in bad shape and all, but you are not well either."**

"I... I am fine, Samson."

"**That is a bad lie. I have been on the top of your head in every freaking day that you were running around trying to get your brains back. I know you, Filia! And I know how much you want that. "**

"That... May be true. But I feel... I feel that I wronged her, somehow..."

"**..."**

"I must make it right."

"**...I am just making sure you don't regret your choice"**

"Samson... You don't understand...!"

Hair strands moved in an annoyed way.

"**What, exactly, I don't understand?"**

"I... I feel she is important to me... I care about her..."

"**Yeah? BUT I CARE ABOUT YOU!"**

That was a harsh tune, but different from the usual.

There was a sudden silence.

Realization took them both.

Filia couldn't answer to that.

He was right. She, herself, also needed help.

He was worried. Fear and confusion flowed through her skull.

She also was important.

But she couldn't throw off that sensation...

That something beautiful was broken by her.

"I should..."

* * *

Wish for Painwheel.

Wish for myself.

* * *

"Ah…"


	2. Aftermath

There are new pieces.

New art on the walls. New furniture. New servants.

Some of the faces at the table, she doesn't recognize.

Like old times.

More money to buy the most valuable.

New blood to substitute the spilled.

Business as usual.

The people along the table were incredulous though.

"Lorenzo, you can't be serious…"

"After so many years… You…"

The frail man spoke.

"Yes, yes, many years. Many women, much money, much fun…"

"Is it because of the Life Gem? The gals are looking for it, it still can be found in time…"

"Even if it is, I think it is wiser to leave a successor early, isn't it? I don't want you all breaking my kingdom before someone of the family can properly sit on the throne."

"Besides, I was already considering this for a long time. I have already paved the way for all of you through my long life. It is time for you youngsters rise to the name of the Medici."

"Youngsters, huh? So that is why you are passing the family to a baby?"

The eyes turned to her.

The duo didn't bother to look at the defiant. Filia just kept herself composed and neutral. Samson remained silent.

"She is what? Fourteen, fifteen? "

"She disappeared for months after the slave chick had started killing us. And after it was over and safe she just came back? How are we going to trust her?"

"That is very a good question sir... Let me expand that for you. How are we going to trust anybody here?

Heads turned to her.

"What do you mean by that, girl?"

"Well, since none of you were out hunting the Skullgirl to protect the family, I have to assume that you are not worth of trust..."

"You little..."

"**Little what, now?"**

A chill silenced the insult.

She politely waited for more interruptions, and then continued.

"Marie's servants were exterminating us. And the only people that I saw putting up a fight were the "queen" and her goons."

"So? We let her get the heat. It is her job after all."

"**The mob begging the cops to save them. I am so glad that at least this girl has some spine."**

"Yeah. Like any of us could do..."

"Don't make excuses, please."

"Hey, don't inter..."

"The Cirque de Catres. Dahlia. Hired assassins. Mercenaries. Money. The whole underworld...".

"And most of you used that as bricks to put walls around you cages, waiting her to come..."

The truth stung. They were angry at it.

"You talk big!"

That was a confident voice.

"But what exactly did you do? The Skullgirl disappeared, may be dead right now. And you were... Doing what exactly?"

"**Avenging her family, you ¨%&*+&¨#!"**

Filia let Samson do the insulting and screaming. He was a natural at that.

"**She got me to kill the Skullgirl who has killed both her parents."**

"You DO remember my parents, right?"

People around the table looked to each other searching for an answer. She gave them tips.

"Loyal members of the family? My mother used to be a big friend of yours, remember Ana? And you Rossi? You and my dad used to cheat at poker in the casinos. Nothing?"

"..."

"I guess you have really forgotten. You sure didn't care much when I had asked for support to hunt Marie down."

"…"

"So… It was you? Did you get her?"

"Unfortunately, no. The amnesia hindered me for some time. After I have recovered, we managed to strike down some of her servants. But in the end, someone else was able to reach the Skullgirl first…"

"So, you failed."

She smiled and glared at the speaker.

To someone who was not paying attention, it was a gentle smile.

"Yes, in obtaining the heart and claiming the kill."

"**But not in reacting, not in having actual guts."**

The trigger fingers at the room were very itchy.

A more contemplative guy pulled a good argument.

"I commend you for that girlie. But courage alone won't cut the deal. Brave people only get themselves killed."

"You are right. It is all about power isn't it?"

There was a silent consensus at the table.

"Well, I am the sole heir of my parent's fortune and power. I have access to their network, legal and not. On the top of my head there is a source of decades of knowledge."

"**Also, very strong."**

"Well, B- for you girly. If you had any street cred, you could have passed."

Two eyebrows rose to her forehead and two strands of hair lowered to there.

"And, that would be..."

"Ya know: spunk. Respect. To look tough. To be feared. Any girl could break a skeleton with the right mallet. But when it comes to..."

"Ah! It is this..."

Samson made a sound.

He grew. The back head enlarged, bigger jaws and mouth.

Expressions of alarm. A lot of: "heys", "stops", "whacha're ya doing?" and swearing.

"Don't worry. I am just returning something."

In fact Samson just spat…

Four skulls.

One "clean". The others dirty. One with enough skin and flesh to recognize.

"They shouldn't have tried to scare a girl in her privacy. But I guess I had enough "cred" to make them talk..."

* * *

…

Three maids cleaning.

One putting heads in a trash bag.

A strong one putting the "masterminds" corpses in a cart.

Another one, cleaning, with all the muscles of her body tensed, trying to not add more vomit to the scene.

The princess was eating some sweets, her knight some salty snacks and the "king" a glass of water.

"That was a fierce display."

"Yes. The surprise factor is important. Still, it is not something that should have scared them so much. Worst has been done, before.

"You should keep that for your enemies."

"I know. I just wasn't expecting that so many of our managers to be squeamish."

"It is good to have some fearful servants. Cowards are wise in avoiding stupid risks and are good followers while you are strong."

"**Yeah, yeah. Just don't count on them for bigger jobs are in putting their necks out for anything."**

"Ah, Samson. But this here is not only about danger. There are casinos, charity, management, some legal business. They are useful for that."

"Lame and boring."

*chuckle*

The maids finished. Bowed and exited, one in a faster pace.

They closed the door.

"AlsO sOMeTIMes FEAR maY Make humans BRaVe if ThEY think tHEY will Be SaFER in thE end."

"Well, she is competent and still in probation. They all start like this. I hope she gets used to it."

Filia and Samson continued their meal.

"Won't you have something?"

"No, but I appreciate your gesture."

"**Did the old man give you a stomach ache?"**

"I have no need for sustenance now."

"**Boring."**

After one more bonbon.

"Did you have too much trouble?"

"No. He lived beyond the scope of his mortal life. His heart stopped right after I have dropped the disguise."

"Umh, shocking but brief. A lot of people got worse than that. But, I wasn't talking about him..."

"As you have thought, dahlia and most of the main assassins weren't present. Searching for the Life Gem and a few retaking Medici territory."

"**The old bastard got desperate. He had not much time, anyway."**

"So, no testimonies. Or loose ends..."

"Just one maid. A cute one, like all the others. nobody was particularly fond of her."

Many mouths "smiled".

"Just one more thing."

"YeS?"

"While you were alone in this form, did anybody give you information about the gem to you?"

"No. I would have told, if so."

"Right."

* * *

As Filia finished her sentence, a maid entered the room to clean the table.

In her new, even larger bedroom, preparing to sleep. Thinking.

"_**Looks like she can hear pretty well."**_

"_Yes."_

"_**She probably knows, ya know."**_

"_That we want the gem? Yeah."_

"_**Shouldn't we, ya know...?"**_

"_I think she would be bad for our stomach, Samson. Besides I don't think she would be an easy kill. Also, she was such a good, excuse me, "girl" in helping us out. I would like to keep her for our future projects."_

"_And the Life Gem isn't the only resource I am aiming too. There is more in this world beside that, like you told me."_

"_**There is, but we should hurry. I don't want us to end as some kind of avatar BS to some deity or anything else with so much for us to grasp..."**_

"_Indeed, many things to do. The gem, that person you want to kill, culling out backstabbers..."_

"_**About that. Did you pay attention to fat-face?"**_

Filia snickered.

"_Vitale, you mean? Yeah, I did. Didn't give out too much opinion about what happened. Just listened."_

"_**A smart guy."**_

"_Yes, dangerous also. I guess we both had known about him before we meet each other. Father always said that he was pretty good at hiding his ambitions. __I hope we don't have to fight him..."_

"_**..."**_

"_I don't want to lose him and the circus before attacking the Renoirs. It is a loss when competent people are overly ambitious. "_

"_**I was thinking that you wanted cowards."**_

"_Not ONLY cowards, mind you... That would be... Boring."_

Samson smiled and felt proud.

"_**Heh, Queen Filia. I guess King Samson isn't bad also."**_

"_And we will only need one crown."_

They laughed at that.

* * *

An "old man" in his chair.

Millions of thoughts on how "he" would lead the mafia.

Also in how "he" would serve better her new "master".

Double had no treacherous intentions towards Filia.

The girl had wished to revive her old self.

* * *

Filia covered herself with the sheets.

"_**Good night, kid."**_

It was a warm remark.

...

"_Samson..."_

"_**...?"**_

"_Never call me a kid, anymore."_


End file.
